The Salinas Police Department officer who was photographed parking in a handicapped spot to buy breakfast at a taqueria is a sergeant and a shift supervisor, sources inside City Hall told KSBW Thursday.

A city and police spokesman, Spencer Critchley, declined to release the officer's name. Sources say the sergeant is not a patrol officer.

The Salinas Police Department has been working hard on improving community relations and building trust in recent years. A 2016 Department of Justice report concluded that the SPD's relationship with the community was "significantly frayed."

A former Monterey County Sheriff, Mike Kanalakis, jumped into the debate on KSBW's Facebook page by blaming the media.

"This is an absolutely ridiculous news story and does nothing to improve police community relations. The officer will be dealt with but you made a mountain out of a mole hill KSBW. Bad move," Kanalakis wrote.

A former Monterey County sheriff's deputy who ran for sheriff, Fred Garcia, wrote on KSBW's Facebook page, "OK, totally inappropriate for the officer and he should know better."

Red zones exist for emergency situations, but in general, police officers are allowed to park anywhere during an emergency situation.

Deputy Chief Dave Shaw said, "This is not acceptable for any non-handicapped person to do, and certainly not acceptable for a Salinas Police Officer to do, unless it's part of an emergency response."

If a police officer catches someone parked illegally in a handicap zone, the driver is typically slapped with a $300 ticket.

An internal affairs inquiry is underway.

"Once that's concluded, we'll determine what the consequences will be. I want to assure the public that we take this matter seriously, and that we hold each other to the standard of setting an example of respect for the law," Shaw said.

How much time will the SPD devote to investigating a simple situation by one of its own officers?